


Love Sick

by vavavavoom_beautifulbeautifulbombshell



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/F, First Love, Fluff, Romance, exploration of humanity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:14:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29703897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vavavavoom_beautifulbeautifulbombshell/pseuds/vavavavoom_beautifulbeautifulbombshell
Summary: Seven finds herself unable to regenerate these days, her efficiency is severely lacking, her thoughts constantly drifting off and she can not ingest her nutritional supplements either. Convinced that she must be sick, she consults the Doctor one night after another unsuccessful attempt to regenerate, only to as she is convinced be mocked by him declaring that she must have fallen in love. Seven is determined to conduct her own research to prove him wrong...
Relationships: Kathryn Janeway/Seven of Nine
Kudos: 18





	Love Sick

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! This is another idea that's been swirling in my mind for a while now. I hope you're all gonna enjoy this one-shot. Confused Seven is too precious in my opinion.

Seven paced Cargo Bay 2 something she was thoroughly unused to. Her mind for yet another night was too preoccupied to regenerate. 'Unacceptable!'

She thought to herself, mind still consumed with images and voices from the last few years. One of them outweighing the others, yet she could not for the life of her grasp anything which was an entirely new and therefore frightening experience.

Breaking out in a cold sweat, a physical reaction she had observed to experience a lot these past few days, she groaned out, exasperation and agony causing her to ball her fist. 'I am not working within expected parameters. It appears that I am damaged, no perhaps the term 'sick' fits my symptoms better.'

To the young ex-Borg, having to feel such utterly human emotions, as well as physical symptoms, was unbearable. She felt flawed and for someone who strived for and sought perfection, this was insufferable.

At a lack of a better option, desperate for her highly frustrating state to get fixed and to find answers, she left her cargo bay and went to the ship's sickbay, hoping the Doctor would be able to help her out. After all, Seven was sick and so it was the logical step to take to report to sickbay and ask for medical assistance.

On top of that, the hologram was the young woman's mentor and as such, she hoped he could provide her with guidance and answers as well. When she arrived in sickbay, Voyager's EMH immediately approached her, currently having been busy cleaning some medical equipment.

His holographic features brightened at the sight of his protégée and he exclaimed overly chirpy as per usual. “If it isn't my favorite patient! Seven, what may I do for you? Do you have another question regarding humanity?”

The young blonde shook her head, stating flatly. “I do not. Doctor, I require your assistance as medical officer of this vessel. Based on my decrease in efficiency as well as my inability to regenerate, I have reached the conclusion that I must be 'sick'.

Furthermore, I have found myself unable to ingest my nutritional supplements these past few days, have been unable to maintain my focus during my duty shifts in Astrometrics.

My heart rate and vitals have been concerningly high as well these days and I often found myself breaking out in a 'cold sweat'. Do you have any explanation what it might be that I am suffering from, Doctor? I can not function this way!”

To Seven's irritation, the EMH asked her. “Have you found your mind being occupied with a certain individual these days, Seven? Have your thoughts wandered off to someone, in particular, another crewmember perhaps, more often than usual?

How about your symptoms? Did you find that they increased whenever a certain person was in your presence or when you were thinking about them?”

Seven frowned almost imperceptibly at this, deeming her mentor's questions to be irrelevant, but knowing that he was the medical professional here and not her, she answered regardless. “My mind indeed often drifted off these past few days, concerningly often, something which is highly unusual for me.

However, I can not say what exactly caused this phenomenon. I have seen blurry images and heard voices, unable to make sense of any of them, or place them which was highly irritating and frustrating since I am not used to this kind of thing.

Possessing a cortical node and eidetic memory, I typically am able to determine the origin of voices and images. In this case, that was not possible due to those curious distortions and it... causes me great discomfort, even fear.”

The Doctor hummed, tapping his holographic chin in thought. “I see. That does sound quite concerning indeed. Seven, I want to be honest with you.

All the symptoms you mentioned earlier are pointing not towards you being sick, but instead towards you experiencing your first love. I admit that it's odd how you can't seem to be able to identify the individual you have fallen in love with, but that might be so because you're subconsciously afraid to experience this, admittedly rather overwhelming sensation.

Yet, as your general practitioner and guide in humanity, I would strongly advise against suppressing those emotions, Seven. Love is a wonderful thing and having fallen in love for the first time is a very important step on your way to regaining your humanity.

You should embrace this feeling while it lasts and allow yourself to explore your emotions in relation to it. Once you have found out who it is that you are feeling this emotion for, you should try to spend as much time with them as possible.

Believe me, it will improve your state, maybe you could even share your attractions towards them with the individual in question, or with me. Talking helps Seven. Apart from that, there is nothing else I can do.”

Seven glared at the Doctor, beyond unsatisfied, feeling mocked, not taken seriously by the man.

She told him, tone icy. “I did not come here to get 'mocked', 'made fun of' by you, Doctor! I am 'sick', but instead of checking my vital functions and my nanoprobes, you declare that I have 'fallen in love'. Borg do not 'fall in love', Doctor.

I might have started to regain my humanity, but that does not mean that I am able to experience emotions of that kind. You have stated yourself before that it is 'odd' how I can not seem to be able to identify the individual I am supposed to be 'in love' with.

That is so, because I, in fact, am not 'in love', Doctor. If you refuse to be of assistance to me then I will have to seek help and guidance somewhere else. Good night, Doctor.”

The EMH blinked, calling out after the retreating form of his protégée. “Seven, wait! I apologize for offending you and making it seem as if I don't take you seriously earlier.

I can't allow you to leave without having at least run a few tests and checked-up on you, or in the very least, offered you a hypospray with a sedative so you will be able to regenerate.”

The young woman sighed and turned around, walking back inside.

Her ocular implant raised, she asked her mentor. “Can I trust you take my concerns seriously this time, Doctor?”

The EMH nodded, answering her sincerely. “Of course, you can, Seven.”

The ex-Borg positioned in front of the hologram, hands as per usual clasped behind her back, posture stiff, eyes fixed on the Doctor who ran his tricorder over her, frowning. “Hm, those vitals indeed do look quite concerning.

Then again, that is to be expected, considering you haven't been able to regenerate recently. Your nanoprobes are in dire need of regeneration as well. I believe I should give you a hypospray with a sedative to ensure you will be able to perform a cycle tonight.”

Seven nodded, accepting the spray before leaving sickbay.

The young woman sighed heavily once she was back in her cargo bay. 'This was most frustrating! The Doctor was unable to provide me with a proper diagnosis or treatment. It appears that I will have to conduct my own research on this matter then.

It is unacceptable that I get plagued by those highly uncomfortable symptoms for any longer. For the moment it is best if I go regenerate, however. My body seems in dire need of it.

My efficiency and focus have to be reestablished. I can not stay flawed any longer.'

“Regeneration cycle complete.”

Seven blinked her eyes open, her vitals elevating at the sight of the Captain, that husky voice of hers sending shivers down the whole of her body. “Good morning, Seven. Are you feeling better?”

The young woman was stunned both at her own reaction towards the older woman and said woman's question.

She answered truthfully, after running a quick self-diagnostic. “I am fun- I am 'fine', Captain, thank you. May I know what is the reason for your visit here and why did you inquire about my state of health?”

Janeway told her. “I was under the impression that you weren't quite yourself these past few days, so I grew concerned and asked the Doctor if he knew anything.

He then reluctantly shared with me that you had reported to sickbay the other night and sought medical assistance. This confirmed my suspicions and raised my concern, so I simply wanted to check up on you to see if you are feeling any better.

From what I have heard, you've been having trouble regenerating these past few nights?”

Seven experienced a sinking feeling, not at all had she meant for the Captain out of all people to find out about her state, grow concerned for her even. If Seven hated one thing it was upsetting the older woman, disappointing her.

She bit her lip, admitting. “I did have trouble regenerating these past few nights, that is correct. The Doctor provided me with a hypospray containing a sedative which has helped me regenerate last night and aided in stabilizing my nanoprobes and Borg systems.

You do not have to worry about my lack of efficiency or concentration any longer. Thanks to having successfully performed a regeneration cycle, I will be able to complete my duty shift and execute my tasks at optimal efficiency again.”

The Captain frowned at her protégée's words. “Seven, I don't think you understand. It wasn't your work that I was concerned for or your lack of efficiency, but you, as a person, a valued member of my crew, my senior staff, a friend who is very dear to me.”

Seven swallowed, taken aback by the older woman's unexpected admission of such strong, personal emotions. 'She cares for me? She sees me as a friend, someone who is important to her?'

The young woman did not know why this admission of Janeway's meant so much to her, but a warmth blossomed inside her and she muttered, suddenly feeling shy. “I truly appreciate your concern, Captain and I apologize for worrying you these past few days. That was never my intention.

You are correct, I have not been myself these past few days and I am not entirely certain why that was the case. However, I can guarantee you that I am feeling well.”

The older woman smiled gently, a fact that resulted in Seven's symptoms increasing, her tone of voice matching that smile. “It's fine, Seven. You don't have to apologize for that. I'm just glad to know you're fine.

Have you talked to the Doctor about this, Seven? There must be a reason why you haven't been feeling like yourself these past few days after all.”

Seven swallowed, having dreaded that question, unpleasant shivers running down her spine at the memory of what the Doctor had told her last night. She refused to tell the Captain about this ridiculous claim of the Doctor.

Instead, she simply stated. “The Doctor was unable to provide me with an adequate diagnosis, Captain.”

Janeway frowned, asking hesitantly. “He wasn't able to provide you with an adequate diagnosis meaning he did diagnose you with something but you did not deem this diagnosis of his correct, Seven?”

The younger woman's eyes widened in shock for a split second, her perspiration levels increasing, her pulse reaching concerning heights as well, clear signs of anxiety.

'I am experiencing anxiety? This is illogical. I should simply tell the Captain about that ridiculous claim the Doctor has made the other night. She will agree that it makes no sense, that it can not be, that he was wrong.'

Seven steeled herself, her voice firm as ever. “The Doctor claimed that I displayed typical symptoms of an individual that has 'fallen in love' for the first time. He clearly must have mocked me. Borg do not 'fall in love', Captain.”

Janeway's eyes were widened in shock for a split second, but to her credit, she managed to regain her composure right away, command mask back in check, a fact that in all honesty confused, even hurt Seven for reasons she could not comprehend. “Seven, you're a young human woman, not a member of the Collective anymore and it's quite common for a woman your age to fall in love.

I didn't expect this to happen this soon, to be honest, but the Doctor could very well be right about that. May I know who you have fallen in love with? It's fine if you prefer to keep that information to yourself. It's a very personal matter, after all.”

Seven frowned, muttering. “Captain, you believe the Doctor's 'diagnosis' to be correct? You can imagine that I have 'fallen in love'?”

Janeway smiled softly. “Yes, Seven. Of course, I can imagine that and I'm happy for you.”

The blonde bit her lip, muttering. “I am not certain about the Doctor's claim myself, nor am I certain who the individual I have apparently 'fallen in love with' is.”

Seven quickly stated after checking her inner chronometer. “I must get ready, Captain. I am already running late for my duty shift. I apologize for holding you back from duty unnecessarily long. It was not my intention.”

The Captain smiled gently, patting Seven's arm, a gesture which to the young woman's irritation caused her skin to tingle. “That's quite alright, Seven. In all honesty, it was me who held you back from getting ready and getting nutrition.”

Seven bit her lip, muttering. “I am not 'hungry', Captain...”

It was true. With her stomach feeling awfully knotted up she was in no state to have one of her nutritional supplements.

Janeway frowned in concern, stating. “Seven, you need nutrition to aid your nanoprobes and your human systems too. How about this? We'll go to the mess hall and have breakfast together there.”

Despite not being in a mood to ingest nutrition, the offer of breakfast together with the Captain was something that Seven could not refuse.

The blonde nodded, stating simply, forcing her tone to sound as void of emotion as possibly while inwardly she was dancing in glee. “Acceptable.”

Janeway chuckled one of those dangerous little chuckles of hers and Seven had a hard time suppressing a primal sound that for reasons she did not want to further think about had threatened to escape her upon hearing that chuckle.

To the young woman's shock, Janeway linked her arm with hers, making the blonde wonder if it was acceptable for a captain of a Federation starship to walk the halls of said ship with one of her crew in this manner, especially when they were both technically on their duty shift.

Seven had forgotten all about changing or getting ready in general, the older woman thoroughly taking her off-guard, turning her mind into mush, the sole thing that bore relevance anymore was having breakfast together with the Captain, everything else had lost significance.

To Seven's credit, she still looked flawless and to an outsider the fact that she had not gotten ready today would most likely go unnoticed, the only true indication being the fact that she still wore the same biosuit she had worn the day before.

The Doctor clearly would scold her if he knew this. According to him, it was crucial that Seven changed her biosuits daily.

Before the duo entered the mess hall, Seven discretely disentangled herself from the older woman before entering the room, strutting over to the replicator at the wall.

She contemplated which supplement to order today, following a sudden impulse she called out. “Nutritional supplement 7 Alpha.”

She grabbed the long glass with her drink, giddiness it was harder to suppress than ever before today, bubbling up inside her. Janeway ordered herself her usual coffee, black before joining the younger woman at the table by the large viewport.

Seven almost choked on nutritional supplement 7 Alpha at the voice of the Captain. “That looks interesting. Which of your supplements is it, Seven?”

The young woman stated flatly. “Nutritional supplement 7 Alpha.”

Janeway nodded. “I see. I'm curious. What does nutritional supplement 7 Alpha taste like, Seven?”

The young woman's eyes widened, gulping against the sudden dryness in her throat.

Unable to say no to her Captain, despite the dread filling her, her common sense screaming at her to not do it, she thrust the glass out towards the older woman, telling her. “Feel free to try it, Captain.”

Janeway blinked, her cheeks as Seven noticed to her surprise and confusion turning pink, voice sounding even huskier than usual, almost sending Seven into overdrive, asked. “Would that be acceptable, Seven?”

The younger woman nodded, her answer simple. “Yes.”

The redhead carefully took a sip from the drink, her eyes before long widening in surprise. Seven felt downright horrible.

'It was a mistake to allow her to try it. No, the true mistake was creating it in the first place. What was I thinking? It is a mystery to me until this very day why I even created a supplement with this specific taste in the first place.'

Janeway whispered, the surprise and shock still visible on her face. “I don't know what I had expected this to taste like, but coffee clearly wasn't something I ever would have expected your supplements to taste like, Seven. I thought you hated coffee?”

The blonde's cheeks turned the softest pink, feeling deeply humiliated by now, her gaze downcast in shame. “I do not know why I chose to create this supplement myself, Captain, or what my reason for ordering it this morning was.

You are correct. I normally do not appreciate the taste of 'coffee' all that much, but somehow... I could not help but include it in my supplements regardless. It seemed the right choice for reasons I am not certain of.”

Janeway nodded and to Seven's shock asked the young woman, in a tone so silent no one else who might be eavesdropping on their conversation could hear it. “Would you be agreeable to join me for dinner this evening at my quarters, Seven?

It's been a while since we last spend some off-duty time together and also there is something important I have to tell you. It would mean a lot to me if you could arrange it.”

The blonde felt a curious flutter in the pit of her abdomen, answering. “Acceptable. When would you like me to come to your quarters, Captain?”

Janeway suggested. “How does 1900 hours sound to you, Seven?”

The younger woman replied. “1900 hours would be agreeable, Captain.”

Janeway smiled, getting up. “Good. See you at 1900 hours then, Seven. I will be in my ready room for now. There's a pile of departmental reports awaiting me.”

The redhead shivered visibly and for a moment there Seven found herself wishing she could help her Captain dealing with those reports she knew the petite woman always dreaded having to do.

Seven refrained from doing so, however, knowing her place was in Astrometrics, already having led her subordinates down the past few days because of her state.

The blonde found herself anticipating for the evening to come, unable to stop wondering what it was the Captain wanted to tell her that was so important that she preferred to tell her so in the privacy of her quarters.

Seven had a hard time not to audibly sigh out in relief once her duty shift was finally over. Only thanks to Borg willpower did she manage not to dash out of the place and back to her cargo bay.

'You are acting highly irrational. Why are you so excited for 'dinner' with the Captain?'

The memory of what the Doctor had told her the night before resurfaced for a moment, but Seven quickly dismissed it as irrelevant and got ready for her date with Janeway instead. Her cheeks turned pink.

'D-'date'? No, this is not a 'date', you fool. The Captain stated before herself that she sees you as a friend. It is common for friends to consume 'dinner' together. Also, we are two females so this is illogical.'

Seven pondered her choice of outfit for far longer than usual, something that bothered her greatly. It wasn't like she had a great choice really. For reasons beyond her comprehension, she felt the strong desire to 'dress up' and look especially good tonight.

Frustrated to mainly possess biosuits and no actual casual attire, the young woman quickly browsed the database and had soon found the perfect outfit.

Her cheeks turned pink once she was dressed in the for her very atypical outfit.

For a moment, she was about to change back into one of her typical biosuits after all, but when she checked her inner chronometer she had to realize that doing so would be impossible.

Seven sighed, following a sudden impulse, she quickly removed the pins from her hair, loosening it from its typical tight bun, soft golden waves now framing her face, her appearance almost irrecognizable.

The young woman felt an uncomfortable knot in the pit of her stomach, her heart beating almost painfully against her chest. She had to lean against the wall of the turbolift for a moment, to support her body, her eyes closed.

Too soon had she arrived at her destination, Deck 3, but the young woman forced herself to exit the lift, strutting over to the captain's quarters. It was point 1900 hours when Seven pressed the chime, waiting with bated breath for permission to enter.

The voice of the Captain called out “Come in!” a mere 5 seconds later, a fact that astonished the young woman, her nerves kicking in again, but she steeled herself and marched on like a true warrior, hands clasped behind her back in her typical fashion, chest thrust out, displaying an air of confidence she, in all honesty, did not feel tonight.

Something she had once overheard Tom Paris say randomly popped up in her mind. 'You've gotta fake it, till you make it.'

Seven mused the pilot might have been correct with that statement. She deemed it best to at least pretend to feel confident and self-assured when in fact she felt a strong urge to run away and hide in her cargo bay. Why that was the case eluded Seven.

The nervous young woman snapped out of her daze by that alluring husky voice. 'Alluring? What is wrong with you? She is your Captain.'

Seven swallowed.

“Good evening, Seven. My, I almost didn't recognize you. Seeing you in that kind of outfit sure comes as a surprise, but you look stunning.”

The blonde found she had difficulty speaking, her brain refusing to provide her with a proper response. One look at the older woman and Seven was rendered speechless.

Janeway much like Seven had gone out of her way choosing her outfit for tonight, a red dress which left little to the imagination, her toned legs on display, pumps in the same color of her dress on her feet, a necklace with what Seven was able to classify as a 'ruby', a magnificent red stone around her neck, putting even more emphasis on her cleavage.

Seven had not expected her Captain to have curves like that, but apparently she had been fooled by that rather concealing Starfleet uniform the older woman typically wore.

Unable to help herself, the young woman suddenly blurted out. “Captain, you are beautiful!”

To her delight, the older woman blushed prettily at this, voice small. “Thank you, Seven. I wasn't sure about my choice of outfit, to be honest, seeing as how you're used to seeing me mostly either in my uniform or in more casual clothes.

Seeing your own outfit though, I feel like I made the right decision.”

Seven bit her lip and said genuinely. “You have made a perfect choice, Captain. This dress accentuates your body magnificently. Is there a particular reason why you chose to dress in my favorite color, by the way?”

Janeway visibly paled at the younger woman's question. “I deemed it fitting for the occasion.”

The Captain motioned her protégée over to the dining table and to her surprise, Seven held out her chair for her.

Janeway sat down, smiling softly. “Thank you, Seven. You're a true gentlewoman.”

The blonde blinked for a moment, browsing her cortical node for the word before stating. “You deserve to be treated like a 'lady', Captain. It is customary to hold out a seat for a 'lady' to sit down on. Is it not?”

The redhead blushed softly, sending that familiar flutter to the blonde's lower abdomen, answering softly. “I... I'm not used to be called a lady, Seven. You're the first person to ever call me that.”

The young woman frowned. “You have never been called a 'lady' before, Captain? I do not understand. You are female and a very attractive, well-mannered one as well. Why would no one address you as a 'lady' then? That is illogical!”

The older woman explained. “Due to my position, I'm rarely ever seen wearing dresses, truly feminine clothes, as you might have noticed yourself before, Seven.

Also, my crew tends to not see me as a woman but their Captain, their commanding officer first, a position which is pretty much genderless.”

Seven nodded slowly. “So, I see. Did you mind me calling you a 'lady' just now, Captain? Did it 'bother' you? If so then I apologize. I did not mean to disrespect you, or offend you...”

Janeway smiled softly. “No, Seven. I didn't mind it at all. In fact, it felt good being called that way, seen as a woman for once. I honestly took it as a compliment.”

The blonde was relieved, telling her Captain sincerely. “It was meant as such. Anyway, what is for 'dinner', Captain? I must admit that I am quite curious.”

The older woman stated ominously. “Take a look, Seven. It's a surprise.”

The young woman frowned, not usually fond of surprises, the concept of it irrelevant to her. However, she decided to play along, musing her Captain most likely had her good reasons for acting in this manner.

The young woman opened the stasis container, her eyes widening in recognition. “Pasta primavera! Captain, how did you know?”

The older woman smiled softly, explaining. “I found it while browsing your parents' old log entries, Seven. Commander Tuvok was so kind and helped me preparing it the traditional way, knowing how my replicator has a tendency to liquify dinner and pull off other shenanigans.

Feel free to try it, Seven.”

The blonde felt a warmth spread through her whole body. 'She has gone out of her way preparing this for me. She has 'cooked' for me the traditional way, not trusting her replicator, even asking the Commander to help to ascertain the success of the 'meal'. Why?'

Seven couldn't make sense of the older woman's actions, convinced that no one else had ever done remotely as much for her like that.

Her expression visibly lit up after taking the first furtive bite of the dish, ice-blue eyes twinkling in delight, exclaiming. “This is exquisite! I see now why this used to be my favorite meal. It is truly delightful.

You have done an outstanding job preparing this dish, Captain.”

The redhead's smile widened at the younger woman's words, telling her sincerely. “I'm glad you enjoy it, Seven. I'm personally a big fan of pasta myself, so I understand why this used to be your favorite as well.”

Seven filed the information that her Captain loved pasta into her cortical node, already planning to cook it for the older woman some time to repay her for tonight.

Once they were finished with their meal and Janeway had recycled the plates, Seven asked. “You stated earlier that there was something important you wished to tell me, Captain. I must admit that I am rather curious regarding the nature of this matter.

Would now be an appropriate time to discuss it? We have already concluded our 'dinner' after all.”

Janeway nodded slowly, for a moment Seven could have sworn to see panic flash in those captivating cerulean eyes. 'Why would she experience panic? That is illogical.'

The redhead after a moment of silence spoke up. “I've been contemplating this for a while now, wondering if I should share it with you. In the end, I decided to do so and not wait any longer, deeming it unfair to hide that kind of crucial information from you.”

Seven found herself awaiting the older woman's next words with bated breath, eyes fixated on the redhead's lips, a fact she soon regretted when the pink tip of her tongue licked over those sensual burgundy lips causing the blonde to swallow.

She quickly returned her focus on the Captain's eyes instead, glad to have done so as the older woman resumed her speech in this very moment. “When I told you earlier in the cargo bay that you were very dear to me, I wasn't lying. Over the course of the time you have been a member of my crew, I've grown very fond of you.

In the beginning, I thought it was merely in a platonic way, that I saw you as a friend. When I found myself thinking about you more and more often that including during my duty shifts, craving your company, I knew that something had changed, that I had... developed feelings of a romantic nature for you.

I have fallen in love with you, Seven and I know that this must come as a surprise, or a shock even to you now, but I simply had to tell you. It would have been unfair to hide those kinds of strong emotions from you.

I'm aware that you most likely don't reciprocate and that's fine. All I want is for you to be happy, Seven. I know that you have fallen in love yourself and for the first time.

Whoever that person might be, they are very lucky and I sincerely hope that they return your feelings. You deserve it, Seven.”

Seven was stunned upon hearing a curious sound, much like a whimper which she soon had come to realize had belonged to her. Her throat felt tight, she found it hard to breathe, her right human eye was stinging, her cheek felt wet, her right chest felt awfully tight right where her heart sat.

'The Captain has 'fallen in love' with me? The Captain 'loves' me...'

Janeway had rushed to the young woman's side, gently wiping away the blonde's tears. Her tone sounded guilty. “Seven, I'm sorry...”

Seven shook her head, forestalling further apologies from the older woman, her tone impossibly soft, vulnerable. “I had never anticipated to ever have anyone make that kind of declaration to me, much less you, Captain and...

I believe the Doctor had been correct with his diagnosis last night. I have indeed 'fallen in love', with you, Captain. I had been so convinced you would reject me, be repulsed, upset, laugh at me...

In all honesty, I was most of all disgusted with myself for having developed those kinds of highly inappropriate emotions for my commanding officer, my mentor, my Captain, that I deemed it best to suppress those emotions, 'bottle them up', an idea that proved futile, seeing as how I found myself unable to regenerate or even ingest my nutritional supplements any longer, my efficiency started to decrease, my nanoprobes started to degrade and all I could think about was you, albeit, my mind had a way of concealing that fact to the point of me not being able to tell just who it was that voice belonged to, those memories...”

Janeway had started to cry herself now, exclaiming. “Oh, my poor darling. Had I known anything, anything at all, I would've said something sooner...

The Doctor didn't mention anything about his suspicions of you having fallen in love, just so you know and therefore I was all the more shocked when you told me that this morning.

I admit I had already mentally prepared for getting my heart broken, to lose you to another, having to see you happily roam the corridors with another crewmember.

I'm really such a fool sometimes...”

Seven stated matter-of-factly, ocular implant raised. “If you are a 'fool', Kathryn then so am I. It appears to me that we have both been 'fooled' by each other's feigned indifference.

Me, thanks to that command mask and tone of yours, and you thanks to my Borg mask and general stoicism. May I ask...

This morning after having tried my nutritional supplement 7 Alpha. Did you suspect anything?”

Kathryn admitted. “I had hoped it could be a sign, that maybe you do share my feelings, but I knew better than to get my hopes up too soon.

I simply had to be sure, hence, I decided to invite you over here tonight and finally let the cat out of the bag, so to speak and I'm very glad that I did. By the way, did I already tell you how gorgeous you look tonight?

I love when you're wearing your hair down and that suit... Oh my.”

Seven smirked. “Oh my? Care to elaborate, Kathryn?”

The redhead's cheeks turned a most alluring shade of red, voice hoarse. “It's pretty hot in here... Seven, this is merely our first date, technically not even officially so, seeing as how we merely confessed to each other a moment ago.

You shouldn't be teasing me like that, darling. I've been living in celibacy for five long years, you know. I'm very sensitive...”

Seven's expression grew downright smug, whispering in the older woman's ear. “In other words, Kathryn. Your body is in dire need of attention and I am very willing to give that to it if you allow me.

The night is still 'young' after all and I do not wish to leave. I have completed a full regeneration cycle the night before and had my nutritional supplement to ascertain my nanoprobes are functioning within optimal parameters.”

The redhead's eyes were hooded, the irises having turned indigo, her vital functions as Seven noticed to her delight elevated, her tone pure seduction. “In that case, darling. I'd love for you to stay the night and for us to explore more of your humanity together.

Let me teach you about what it means to be in a romantic relationship with another individual, darling, let me show you what it means to be loved, yes?”

Seven licked her lips, her eyes clouded with desire, shamelessly staring at Kathryn's cleavage, her voice by now merely a low purr. “That sounds very acceptable, 'my love'.”

When Seven fell asleep for the first time, in the arms of her newly found lover, in the wee hours of the morning after hours of intense lovemaking and learning about this most fascinating, pleasurable aspect of her humanity, the young woman came to realize that love was not, in fact, a sickness, but the singularly most perfect thing she had ever been allowed to experience and the adventure had merely started...

**The end**


End file.
